


it takes a village (and some christmas magic)

by bubblez4u



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:12:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblez4u/pseuds/bubblez4u
Summary: Beca and Chloe have been friends for years, but will this Christmas finally push them to be something more?





	it takes a village (and some christmas magic)

**Author's Note:**

> Late as always but I hope you still like it! I saw PP3 on Thursday which means my love for Bechloe has been reborn and I'll probably start writing a bunch of shit nobody asked for. Let me know what you think! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

“Honey, I’m home!” Chloe sang as she closed the front door and let her coat fall off her shoulders before tossing it onto the couch.

“In here,” Beca’s voice floated into the living room from the kitchen. Chloe followed the noise and the smell that was permeating the small Brooklyn apartment. It was their first Christmas together and Chloe was determined to make it the best one yet. She had given Beca specific instructions to start the holiday baking for the Christmas party they were hosting that night while she ran to the post office to send some last minute gifts back home. The place was still intact and the aroma she was sniffing was sugary instead of smoky.

So far, so good.

Chloe entered to find the kitchen a mess. Flour was scattered all over the counter and there were used baking utensils on the stove instead of in the sink. Beca was wearing an apron backward as she bent over a batch of freshly baked gingerbread men.  
  
"Done!" Beca's tongue was hanging slightly out of her mouth in that cute way it always did when she was concentrating on something really hard. She stepped back from the pan of cookies and looked over at Chloe standing by the entrance of the kitchen. She beckoned Chloe to her side with her hand. Chloe got closer to the cookies and grinned.

She had made a gingerbread man with a clump of red icing on the top of its head with two giant blobs of blue icing for eyes.

“And they say clones don’t exist,” Beca said proudly as she showed off her hard work to her best friend.  
  
"You think you're funny, huh?" Chloe narrowed her eyes at Beca and looked around for something. She spotted a tube of black icing and grabbed it off the counter. She went to work on the blank gingerbread man next to Beca's while the shorter girl watched.  
  
"It looks exactly like you!" Chloe squeaked as she held the cookie up to Beca's face to revel in the uncanny resemblance.  
  
She had drawn black two eyes right above a frown that covered half of the gingerbread man's face.  
  
Beca tried to hide her smile with an exaggerated eye roll, but let a small chuckle escape her lips.  
  
"Alright, you made your point," Beca said as she tried to swipe her cookie replica from Chloe's hand.  
  
"You know what would make these look even more like us?" Chloe gasped.  
  
She took the cookie she was holding in her hand and lightly smacked it face first onto Beca's cookie that was still laying on the pan. The icing on the two cookies mixed together and dripped from the edges of the gingerbread man sandwich Chloe had just created.  
  
"Dude, what the h-" Beca started but her words were cut off by a giddy Chloe Beale throwing herself toward the brunette and wrapping her in a hug.  
  
"Much better," Chloe said with her eyes closed as she buried her head into Beca's neck. She felt Beca’s body relax as she basked in the younger girl’s presence. She let the embrace linger for longer than it should have before she stepped out of the hug and grabbed Beca’s hands.

“We should get going. I’ve got a full day of fun planned out for us!” Chloe said excitingly, swinging Beca’s arms back and forth.

Beca glanced at the kitchen clock and knew Chloe was right. She still had to shower and change into an outfit that wasn’t covered in cookie ingredients.

“You’re probably right,” Beca sighed as she went to turn around. She tried to take her first step out of the kitchen, but she felt something pulling her back. Like literally pulling her back. She turned back around to face Chloe. She looked down at her hands and saw that Chloe's hands were still holding onto them. Beca waited for Chloe to let go, but she didn’t and it was getting Beca riled up.

"So, uh…I’m just- to get, g-going to…get ready," Beca stumbled over her words as she tried to hint that she needed to leave.

Beca blushed when Chloe tightened her grip and smirked.

"Gosh Beca, go get dressed already," Chloe said as she finally released Beca's hands.

“You’re such a weirdo.” Beca stomped off to her bedroom.

Yeah, this was going to be a good one.

 

 

She was putting her foot down.

This time she was serious.

This time was going to be different.  
  
"Chloe, no." Beca crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes wide with a sense of warning.  
  
"Chloe, yes." Chloe's smile widened and she jumped up from her position on the bed. She was wearing a pink sweater with half of a Christmas tree placed on the right side of the garment. The colorful crafts fluff balls, little strings of yarn hanging off of the hem, the whole enchilada. Beca's problem? She was holding another one that was identical to the one she was wearing except with the Christmas tree on the left side.

They had retreated to their own bedrooms to get ready. Beca was in the middle of picking out a top when Chloe called for her from her room. She walked the 10 feet to Chloe’s room which was conveniently located across the hall with the shirt she was planning on wearing in her hand. She leaned against Chloe’s doorway in just her bra.

“Yeah, Chlo?” Beca asked.

Chloe was sitting crisscross inspecting something on her bed when Beca entered her room. She let out a low whistle.

Beca had no idea why, but she felt exposed under Chloe’s gaze. Chloe had seen her with less on freshman year when she barged into her shower. They had changed in and out of Bellas’ costumes in front of each other for years. They lived together for crying out loud. Why did she suddenly find it weird?

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Chloe said from the bed, distracted by her phone going off.

Beca sent a sharp glare her way as she awkwardly tried to cover her body up before it registered in her mind that she was holding a shirt in her hands. She threw it on as quickly as she could and asked Chloe why she had called her.

“Did you call in me here for something specific or was it just so you could check me out?”

“You caught me. I called you in here so I could stare at your body. But, for the record, if I wanted you naked, I have more effective methods than this,” Chloe winked as she finished typing something on her phone and tossing it onto her nightstand.

And then Beca saw it. A smile on Chloe’s face. But not just any smile. The smile that was reserved for times when Chloe wanted something from Beca.

  
Beca Mitchell is short. Beca Mitchell is not the best at making friends. However, above all of those things, Beca Mitchell is stubborn. She has been ever since she was five years old and locked herself in the bathroom for three hours because her Dad said she wasn't allowed to swim in her neighbor's bird fountain anymore until he caved. Her entire life she has gotten her way, one way or another.  
  
Five years. She's known Chloe Beale for five years and not once has she been able to no to her.   
  
Beca took pride in being the most obstinate person she knew, but apparently, she wasn't as strong as she thought. All Chloe had to do was flash those big, blinky eyes at her and Beca was bending over backward for the redhead. She couldn't help it, Beca felt like she was being hypnotized every damn time.

But not this time.

“If you think I’m wearing that-“

“Beca,” Chloe whined, “I’ve always wanted to match with someone. Please! It would just be until the party tonight,” she finished hopefully.

Beca opened her mouth in what looked like protest but closed it abruptly. Without saying anything she ran from Chloe's room and away from the pink monstrosity.

“Seriously? You know that I’m faster than you.” Chloe hopped off her bed and ran after the younger girl.

  
Chloe chased Beca around the living room as she darted around the furniture. Chloe waved the pink sweater in the air as she tried to get ahold of Beca. Chloe grew tired of their little game and decided it would be easier to tackle Beca to the ground instead of trying to grab her with her hands. Chloe pounced on the younger girl and pinned her arms above her head using one hand as they landed in a mess of limbs on the floor.  
  
"Why are you so freakishly strong?" Beca struggled under Chloe's weight.  
  
"Cardio," Chloe shrugged.  
  
Beca tried to squirm out of Chloe’s grip but stopped moving when she realized it was useless.  
  
"Beca, come on!" Chloe pleaded as she waved the sweater above Beca’s face.

Beca squeezed her eyes shut. All she had to do was avoid eye contact and eventually, Chloe would give up.  
  
"Please?" Chloe's lips twisted into a pout and Beca knew exactly what was coming next.

She braced herself.  
  
"For me?" the words came out soft and sweet. Beca felt her willpower starting to dissolve and her eyes began to open no matter how hard she tried to fight it internally.  
  
She was met with stormy blue eyes that were searching for something in Beca's own. It wasn't something new. Looking into Chloe’s eyes was an adventure. Each time she did it felt like she was listening to a new song or making a new mix. Exhilarating, electric, exciting. It just felt right. Her response slipped out before she could even register that her mouth was moving.  


 

 

"Hey, Chloe? Just curious, why do you hate me?" Beca asked sincerely as she let Chloe drag her toward the crowd of crying babies and excited toddlers.  
  
"First off, you know I love you," Chloe said, successfully getting Beca flustered, "and second, if you didn't want to come you should've just said no."  
  
"Yeah, like that's possible," Beca muttered under her breath. She turned her head to the front of the line where a mock winter wonderland was set up. She watched as a jolly old man sitting on a tacky holiday throne posed with little brats for photos and handed out candy canes from his beard. They were at the mall to get pictures with Santa Claus because Chloe had asked her to when they were walking around the city and Beca was distracted by the way the snowflakes were collecting on Chloe’s eyelashes.  
  
They stood in line for 10 minutes before they found themselves at the front of the line.

  
Chloe was next but before she went up, she decided that she hadn't embarrassed Beca enough for the day. She turned to face Beca and her smile transformed into a smirk.  
  
"That reminds me. Can you text me a picture of yourself real quick? You know, so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas," Chloe winked as she made her way to Santa's lap.  
  
Beca's jaw dropped.  
  
Beca watched as Chloe took a seat on Santa’s lap and had him laughing within 15 seconds because of course she did, she was Chloe. She could charm the spines off of a cactus if she wanted. Beca felt her cheeks heat up for the hundredth time that day when Chloe pulled out her phone and pointed to where Beca was standing in line. Beca’s eyes followed Chloe as she gave Santa a kiss on the cheek for the camera and skipped toward the exit, signaling that Beca was next.  
  
"Let's get this over with," Beca grumbled and shoved her hands into the pockets of her military jacket. She took the jacket off to reveal the pink sweater Chloe had basically forced her into wearing. She glared at a few kids who snickered at her from behind and walked up to Santa.  
  
Beca asked Santa for coal when she sat on his lap and didn't smile for the picture. Chloe giggled as she watched Beca climb off the fat man's lap and make her way near where Chloe was waiting for her.  
  
"Woah there. Did I just hear you ask Santa for coal back there?" an arm sprung out in front of Beca and stopped her from walking any further.  
  
"Maybe," Beca raised her eyebrow and she felt her lips quirk up in amusement. Here was a grown man probably in his mid-twenties dressed in an elf costume that was way too small for his body. His words came out in a jumbled mess because of his mixed accent. He had facial hair that came off as pretentious and was wearing shoes that made it seem like he was stuck in high school  
  
"Well, I can definitely stuff your stocking with something else later if you want?" the elf stepped into Beca's personal space.  
  
The smile Chloe had been sporting a few moments earlier was quickly replaced with a scowl. She scrutinized the exchange and felt her heart drop a little when she saw Beca stand her ground, letting the man close the distance between them.  
  
"You look like a turtle," Beca blurted out.  
  
"Uh, I'm..." the man stepped back in confusion.  
  
"Sorry, it's just that you look exactly like a... a turtle. Like literally," Beca's smile faded as she started thinking deeply about a turtle in an elf costume.  
  
"Is there a problem here, babe?" Chloe appeared out of nowhere and hooked an arm around Beca's waist. Her voice was sweet, sickeningly sweet. In fact, if Beca wasn't so fixated on how Chloe had ended her sentence, she would've said something about the venom that seemed to lace her words.  
  
"I-uh...what?" Beca froze on the spot.  
  
"We should get going. You still have to open the present I got you and it’s probably something you want to open in private," Chloe brought her lips to Beca's ear and let her breath ghost the younger girl's skin.

Chloe tugs at Beca’s waist and Beca feels her legs move on autopilot. They make their way out of the mall and Chloe leaves her arm around Beca the entire time. Beca replays what had happened earlier in her head so many times that she doesn’t realize how or when she had ended up in their car. She hears Chloe start the engine but is still trying to rationalize Chloe’s little outburst.  
  
Beca doesn't say anything about it. She simply reaches over the console and presses a kiss to Chloe's cheek. She can feel Chloe's eyes on her and she does her best to pretend like nothing had happened as she scrolls through her Instagram feed.

 

 

The party was set to start in a few hours so Chloe said Beca should open her gift before the night got too crazy. Beca starting complaining because they had agreed they weren’t getting each other anything this year, but Chloe told her to shut up and stop fighting her because even she knew Beca wasn’t going to win.

Beca reluctantly held the small box in her hand and twirled it around slowly. 

"We don't have all day, Mitchell," Chloe teased.

Beca rolled her eyes and tore a hole in the wrapping paper before taking off the rest of it. She let the paper flutter to the floor and lifted the top off the box. She flipped the box upside down into her hand and let the contents spill out. She felt the small pieces of metal before she saw them. She let her thumb ghost over the titanium cufflinks and smiled.

"I always thought you would look pretty hot in a suit," Chloe hummed.

"Chlo-" Beca didn't know what to say.

One of them was shaped like a pair of headphones while the other took the shape of a turntable. She turned them around and squinted when the light captured something on the metal. Engraved in the back of the turntable cufflink were two letters with a plus sign jammed in between them. Etched in cursive lettering was a B and a C.

"So you have a little piece of me to carry around with you when you become a big star," Chloe emphasized her words to give her statement a theatrical aspect.

"Please, you act like you won't somehow be at every single one of my gigs," Beca chuckled softly as she continued looking at the cufflinks.

“Chloe, thank you. I really appreciate this,” Beca’s voice turned serious and her eyebrows furrowed like she was upset with herself.

“Becs, I know. You don’t have to-“ Chloe started. She knew that Beca had trouble conveying what she was feeling so the short verbal responses she often received when Beca was overwhelmed or angry or excited were nothing new.

“No, I mean…not because the gift is like expensive or whatever, but like because it came from you and it meant you were thinking of me and…stuff,” Beca cleared her throat. She looked anywhere except for Chloe’s eyes.

“Beca,” Chloe said with an airy breath. It wasn’t eloquent or especially moving, but it was enough because it came from Beca.

Something changed in the air. Chloe shifted closer and Beca suddenly felt trapped. She brought her hand up to Beca's face and ran a thumb across her cheek. Beca closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, trying to savor it. Her head was pounding. There were a hundred different voices screaming at her to run. They became too much and Beca's eyes fluttered open to meet Chloe’s. They held each other's gazes for a little bit until Chloe started to lean in. Beca’s palms grew clammy and her throat started to close up.

"I, um- have to...yeah," Beca scrambled to get up and left the room.

 

 

Chloe shuffled into the kitchen and made sure the chips were in a bowl and the drinks were still cold. She busied herself in an effort to keep Beca out of her mind. After their little “almost kiss” Beca had locked herself in her room only to text Chloe that she would see her when the party started. Chloe pushed it to the back of her mind as she checked the living room for any stray trash and straightened out the festive banner she had hung on the wall earlier. She turned on her speaker and danced a little when the Christmas classics started playing. It was eight o’clock which meant the Bellas were due to arrive any minute. Sure enough within the next ten minutes, Stacie, Fat Amy, Cynthia Rose, and Aubrey all showed up at Chloe and Beca’s apartment. One by one the guests trickled in and the drinks started flowing after everyone had arrived. It had been a few months since they had all been in the same place at the same time with graduation taking everyone in different directions. People went in and out of the living room, getting food, playing silly games, and visiting the restroom for an occasional touch-up up.

 

Chloe was listening to Amy recount a story about a dingo and her father in the living room with a few of the other Bellas when she saw Beca talking to Stacie near the kitchen. She had a red solo cup in one hand and Stacie’s phone in the other as she thumbed through pictures of her baby. She was wearing a black jumpsuit with a gold belt running across her waist and a white blazer as her brown hair fell down her back in loose waves. The cufflinks Chloe got her sat neatly on the ends of Beca’s sleeves and Chloe couldn’t help but smile. She let out a defeated sigh as she continued to stare at the younger girl. A few moments passed before Beca caught her stare and flashed her an awkward smile before looking away.

“So, I see nothing has changed,” Aubrey plopped down next to Chloe on the couch.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chloe snapped out of her daze and started swirling the drink she was holding in her hand.

Aubrey gave her a knowing look as she tapped her best friend’s thigh and stood from the couch.

“Sorry ladies, I’m going to have to steal this one for a minute.” Aubrey pointed to Chloe and willed her to follow her to another room. The rest of the group groaned but continued their conversation about Barden’s new toilet seats. Chloe reluctantly got up and they walked into Chloe’s bedroom.

"Chloe, it's been years. I thought we agreed that you needed to move on," Aubrey shut the door and sat on the edge of Chloe’s bed next to where the redhead had taken a seat.

"I've moved on," Chloe muttered unconvincingly as she looked down at her feet.

"You know that I only want what's best for you, right? Maybe it's time to accept that Beca just isn't that anymore," Aubrey gently placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe heard the pity in Aubrey’s voice. Like the blonde knew that Chloe was trying to chase an unattainable dream.

"I can't do this anymore, Bree. It hurts," Chloe choked on her own words. She tried to hold back the tears she felt welling up in her eyes. She hid her face in Aubrey's neck and held onto her best friend.

"I know, honey. Beca doesn't know what she's missing. It's going to be alright," Aubrey cooed running her fingers through Chloe's red curls.

"I'm so stupid," Chloe managed to get out in between sobs.

"Don't say that! You're Chloe Beale! Any person in this world would be lucky to have you. Listen, I know that sometimes I'm not as supportive about this weird thing you have with Beca, but if it's really what you want, I want you to know that I love you and I'm here for you. I mean, tonight's as good a night as any so if you're sure about this, I'm in,"

"What?" Chloe asked as she lifted her head from Aubrey's neck and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.

"I'm going to help you get Beca. We've only got one shot at this though, so I'm going to need 100 percent from you if we're going to make this happen." Aubrey brought her finger to her chin and started tapping it thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir!" Chloe sprung up straight like a board and raised her arm to her head to salute Aubrey.

"And, I'm not saying it'll never happen, but if it doesn't work out tonight, do you promise you'll at least try to put yourself out there again? Like go on a date and not think about Beca the entire time?" Aubrey asked pointedly.

"Yeah," Chloe gulped. The thought made her stomach churn, but she knew it was time. Besides, pining wasn't a good look for her.

"Alright then. We'll need some duct tape, rubbing alcohol, and a sack of potatoes," Aubrey barked out.

"Thanks, Bree but I was hoping for one of your back up plans," Chloe offered.

"Fine, if you want to do it the boring way," Aubrey rolled her eyes.

 

 

The Bellas had all made their way to the living room for a game of tipsy charades. Flo was waving her arms up in the air while making a sad face and even though nobody had a clue what she was acting out, they were still laughing. Beca ended up sitting next to Chloe thanks to some strategic seating courtesy of Aubrey.

“You look really good tonight,” Chloe turned her head to Beca and flipped all of her hair over her shoulder in one fluid motion.

“Yeah? Do I look better than when I had on that pink ball of Christmas vomit earlier?” Beca chuckled.

Chloe hummed.

Beca was no longer avoiding her.

It was a start.

“Way better,” Chloe said, her voice coming out an octave lower than usual.

Beca wasn’t ready for it. She wasn’t ready for how Chloe’s voice made the blood in her body pump a little faster through her veins. She wasn’t ready for the electricity that shot to her lower stomach. She wasn’t ready for how her body temperature seemed to rise with every passing second.

“I need a refill. Be right back,” Beca bolted off the couch and into the kitchen. She left a confused Chloe on the couch in her wake as she tried to even out her breathing and cool off.

Chloe brought a hand to her head and rubbed her temples in frustration. She decided she needed a little help and made eye contact with Aubrey who was sitting on the opposite couch observing the entire situation.

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows and motioned to the kitchen, silently asking for advice. Aubrey understood after a few seconds and discretely placed her own hand on her thigh. She dropped her eyes down to her hand and hoped Chloe would understand what she was trying to say. Chloe smiled and slightly nodded her head.

Beca came back a few minutes later with her cup holding the same amount of alcohol it had when she left. She sat back down next to Chloe but this time putting a little more space in between them. Chloe noticed and felt her heart sink, but she brushed it off.

She moved closer to Beca hoping to go unnoticed and subtly placed her hand on Beca’s thigh as she disguised the action under the pretext of a well-timed laugh. She felt Beca tense under her touch. She moved her hand a little higher to gauge her reaction. She heard Beca inhale sharply next to her and bit her lower lip. Just a little higher-

Beca cleared her throat and stood back up from the couch.

“Amy, you look like you’re running a little low! Let me get that for you!” Beca’s voice cracked as she grabbed Amy’s cup without waiting for a response and stalked off to the kitchen again with her head down.

That was it. Chloe was done waiting for Beca Mitchell. If she wasn’t going to pick up on the small hints Chloe was dropping and more than friendly flirting then maybe she would pick up on it if Chloe hit her over the head with a bag of bricks.  
  
"Jesus would've wanted it this way," Chloe whispered to herself. She excused herself from the party and found her way to the kitchen. She spotted Beca pouring her drink out into the sink while she quietly hummed “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” to herself. Chloe took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage she could.   
  
Chloe spun Beca around and trapped her against the counter. Chloe bit her lower lip and watched as Beca’s eyes flickered down to her lips. She was so close she could feel Beca's warm breath tickle her skin. Chloe’s heart started beating faster and she felt herself being drawn to Beca like a magnet.  
  
"Chloe, what are y-" Beca's words got caught in her throat when she felt Chloe capture her bottom lip between her own. The kiss was soft but still managed to send chills down her spine. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she melted into the touch. Beca could feel the passion through the kiss as Chloe moved to deepen it. It sent her senses into overdrive and she watched the fireworks explode behind her eyelids.  
  
The blood rushed to Beca's cheeks when Chloe pulled away. Beca saw Chloe's eyes twinkle and felt a smile tugging at her lips.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Beca," Chloe said as she looked up at the mistletoe she was holding above their heads.

 


End file.
